Yay! Good news. Boy, I don’t know about you but I could use some this week. So, even though this has nothing to do with me, I’ll take it. Jimmy Kimmel’s son, Billy, was born last April with with tetralogy of fallot with pulmonary atresia. Simply stated, he has a hole in a wall of his heart. Fortunately, it was detected immediately and he had life saving open-heart surgery three days after he was born. As has been known since the beginning, Billy was going to need follow-up surgery. Originally, Billy’s second surgery was scheduled last October but the family was sick so they postponed it to avoid any risks. Well, Monday ABC announced that Billy had his surgery and it was successful so, again – yay!
Jimmy Kimmel‘s baby boy William “Billy” John is a fighter!
ABC announced on Monday in a statement that the 7-month-old “had a scheduled and successful heart surgery this morning.” The network also revealed that Kimmel is “with his family” and will have celebrity guests filling in as host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the week.
In Kimmel’s place, Chris Pratt will kick things off Monday, and he’ll be followed by Tracee Ellis Ross, Neil Patrick Harris and Melissa McCarthy. Guests include Margot Robbie, Chris Stapleton, Mary J. Blige, Amanda de Cadenet, Miguel, Vanessa Kirby, Jules Sylvester, Octavia Spencer, Dave Franco and Hanson.
Originally, Billy’s surgery was scheduled in late October but had to be postponed “due to the common cold,” the network said in a statement at the time.
That’s a great list of guest hosts. I’m going to have to check out Melissa McCarthy’s stint. Could you imagine two open-heart surgeries within seven months? All involved must be emotionally spent. Not to mention having to go through this with all the other bs going on in the world.
Speaking of the bs in the world, remember that Jimmy’s wife, Molly McNearney’s father lives in Puerto Rico. Turns out grandpa McNearney voted for #45. Apparently, #45’s (in)action in PR changed his opinion:
My dad voted for Trump. My dad moved to Puerto Rico. My dad waited 3 hours to spend $60 on a gallon of gas to charge his phone to email me. pic.twitter.com/e7w1eQjPQ6
— Molly McNearney (@mollymcnearney) October 16, 2017
Over on Jimmy’s Twitter things have been equally entertaining. Jimmy has been feuding with Alabama senatorial candidate, Judge Roy Moore. It all started when Jimmy sent a plant to one of The Judgophile”s rallies, which led to a debate between the two about Christian values:
Sounds great Roy – let me know when you get some Christian values and I’ll be there!
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) November 30, 2017
Despite D.C. and Hollywood Elites' bigotry towards southerners, Jimmy, we'll save you a seat on the front pew. https://t.co/z7n6uaeyCj
— Judge Roy Moore (@MooreSenate) November 30, 2017
OK Roy, but I'm leaving my daughters at home! P.S. – wear that cute little leather vest https://t.co/scweglm2Fg
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) November 30, 2017
Keep up the good fight, Jimmy.
Here’s the latest pic of Billy. I get that parents mostly post only flattering pictures but this kid, with everything he’s gone through, is always smiling. I adore him and I don’t even know him.
Photo credit: Twitter, Instagram, Getty Images and WENN Photos
Billy is a champ. I feel for any parent that has to watch their child go through so much so young. And the Kimmels don’t have to worry about the extra stuff like bills. So imagine the stress of that on top of worrying about your child surviving.
It’s insane that we bankrupt families with medical bills. Absolutely insane
i agree. it must be harrowing. my baby is the around the same age and she has had a cold for two months and it hurts my heart to watch her have a damn runny nose! i can’t image the fear and heartache watching a child endure surgeries and hospital stays. to add the threat of bankruptcy or foreclosure to those troubles seems too much to bear.
It’s known that sick children often (unfortunately) pull apart families due to stress. It makes sense. You have the worry over your child, worry over other children if you have them, the bills PLUS the marriage. It’s a lot for people to tackle.
Hope his son pulls through.
I’ve lost a couple of young family members because of this condition.
Even after the successful operations?
Those tweet comebacks from Jimmy are hysterical.
I also thought the twitter war Jimmy had with Junior a couple of months ago was hysterical
Aw sweet boy, so glad the second procedure went well. And Kimmel’s tweets to Moore, LOL!
I love his tweets to Moore. He also spoke about Obamacare and his sons condition and how it would be different if it wasn’t there.
It was sad and sweet watching Jimmy on stage crying about his sons condition and saying how important it was for everyone to have healthcare. I hope his son and their family stay strong and it all goes well
It brought tears to my eyes when he spoke. It broke it down to the humanity of the subject which gets lost in the politics.
Billy is an adorable little baby and I hope he heals quickly and this is the end of it.
The Tweets are hilarious and love the snark.
Great news! My kids loved Sophie the giraffe too btw.
Tetralogy of Fallot is a condition where the four massive vessels leading to and from the four chambers of the heart are ALL connected incorrectly. The entire little heart is hooked up backwards and it is probably the worst survivable heart defect. Pulmonary artresia refers to a completely missing valve. It is absolutely not just a hole in the heart, which some babies have and often doesn’t even require surgery. Some readers will likely come across this in their own lives and need better information.
Tetralogy of Fallot is NOT being hooked up backwards. It’s a VSD defect (the “hole in bis heart), an overriding aorta, pulmonary stenosis, and right ventricular hypertrophy. The presentation varies. Sometimes it not discovered until they’re a little older and have to squat in order to feel better. Are you thinking of Transposition of the great vessels?
My friend’s son was born with left hypoplastic heart syndrome, so he had two surgeries by the age of four months, and eventual cardiac failure to led to a full on transplant at the age of 9 months. It really is a harrowing experience, and I’m not surprised it’s opened him up to the terror of what it would be like to go through that process without health insurance. I’m glad his son’s surgery I went will, and I hope he has a safe recovery.